StayAreas

Downtown LA

Los Angeles

The revived city centre, with the Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Broad, Grand Central Market, the Arts District and the arena.

Best for Business · Budget

Transport
5/5
Sights
4/5
Value
4/5
Quiet
2/5
Food
4/5

Typical mid-range hotel ~$260/night · 5 min to Downtown LA

See hotels in Downtown LA

Downtown LA on the map

Why stay here

  • The best Metro connections in LA
  • Museums, concert halls and Grand Central Market
  • Good-value hotels at weekends

Who should stay here

  • Business and convention travellers
  • Culture lovers
  • Concert and sports fans

Not ideal if…

  • You want the beach
  • You'd rather avoid homelessness on the streets
  • You want quiet nights

What it's like

Downtown has come back to life around Grand Avenue's Walt Disney Concert Hall and the Broad museum, the food stalls of Grand Central Market, the historic theatres of Broadway and the Arts District's breweries and galleries. Little Tokyo and Union Station, the Metro hub, are on its eastern side, and Crypto.com Arena hosts the Lakers and big concerts.

It has the best public transport in LA and good-value hotels on weekends. Parts of Downtown, especially Skid Row to the south-east, have serious homelessness and feel unsafe at night, so choose your block carefully.

Best streets and sub-areas

  • Grand Avenue

    Disney Concert Hall, the Broad and MOCA.

  • Broadway

    Historic theatres and Grand Central Market.

  • Arts District

    Breweries, galleries and restaurants east of Little Tokyo.

Getting around

Nearest stations
Union Station and 7th St/Metro Center for the A, B, D and E lines, the FlyAway bus to LAX and Amtrak.
To Downtown LA
About 5 minutes
From Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
About 45 minutes: FlyAway bus to Union Station, or about 30 minutes by taxi outside rush hour.

Nearby attractions

  • The Broad

    Free contemporary art museum; reserve a time slot.

  • Walt Disney Concert Hall

    Frank Gehry's steel building, home of the LA Phil.

  • Grand Central Market

    Food hall in a 1917 market building.

  • The Last Bookstore

    Huge bookshop with a book tunnel upstairs.

Where to eat and drink

  • Grand Central Market

    Tacos, egg sandwiches and more.

  • Arts District

    Breweries and restaurants in old warehouses.

  • Little Tokyo

    Ramen, sushi and Japanese sweets.

Where to stay in Downtown LA

A few hotels we'd book in this area, at different budgets.

Luxury pick

InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown

Why we like it: Sky-high hotel in the Wilshire Grand Center.

Typical luxury rate in Downtown LA: ~$500/night

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Boutique pick

Hotel Figueroa

Why we like it: 1926 landmark hotel with a pool, near the arena.

Typical mid-range rate in Downtown LA: ~$260/night

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Boutique pick

The Hoxton, Downtown LA

Why we like it: Hotel in a historic building with a rooftop pool.

Typical mid-range rate in Downtown LA: ~$260/night

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Hotels in Downtown LAMid-range from ~$260/night

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